U2's Bono Apologizes for Automatic 'Songs of Innocence' Album Download

In a Facebook interview where U2 band members answered questions asked by their fans, U2 frontman Bono apologized to iTunes users that were upset after the band's new album "Songs of Innocence" was automatically downloaded on their devices without their consent.



In the apology, Bono says that the group "got carried away" with themselves and were worried that songs they had spent two years working on "might not be heard."

Oops. Um. I'm sorry about that. I had this beautiful idea and we got carried away with ourselves.



Artists are prone to that kind of thing. Drop of megalomania, touch of generosity, dash of self-promotion, and deep fear that these songs that we poured our life into over the last few years might not be heard.



There's a lot of noise out there. I guess we got a little noisy ourselves to get through it.

U2's newest album, "Songs of Innocence," was provided for free to 500 million iTunes users as part of Apple's September 9 iPhone event. As part of the promotion, apple pushed the album to iTunes accounts, causing some devices to download the album without user permission.



The automatic downloads caused quite a bit of backlash, prompting Apple to create a tool to allow users to remove the free U2 album from their devices. Despite the negativity over the auto downloads, U2's partnership with Apple appears to have been wildly successful, with "Songs of Innocence" seeing 26 million downloads from iTunes users. Additionally, more than 81 million users are said to have "experienced" the album, via iTunes, iTunes Radio, and Beats Music.



Apple's deal with U2 and Universal Music Group is worth an estimated $100 million and is said to be part of a "long-term relationship" that will see Apple and U2 continuing to partner up to promote innovation in music.

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Posted in 2014 at 10:35PM, October 14

The clearest explanation we’ve seen yet for why there’s no ‘Windows 9′

Why did Microsoft skip directly from Windows 8 (or more precisely, Windows 8.1) directly to Windows 10 instead of going to Windows 9? Mostly we think it's that the company wanted to take a big symbolic step away from Windows 8, which has acquired a Vista-like taint since its release two years ago. And now a new report from Business Insider seemingly confirms our suspicions as it quotes Microsoft's Windows marketing boss Tony Prophet discussing exactly why Microsoft decided to leap ahead numerically.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:55PM, October 14

'Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel' Launches Simultaneously on Mac, PC, and Consoles [Mac Blog]

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel , launching today for Mac, PC, and consoles, is the third game in the popular Borderlands series. Set at a time in between the first and second Borderland titles, The Pre-Sequel, like its predecessors, is a first person shooter that incorporates RPG elements.



In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, players can play as one of four characters, each with unique abilities: Nisha the Lawbringer, Athena the Gladiator, Wilhelm the Enforcer, and Claptrap the Fragtrap. The storyline will see gamers fighting alongside Handsome Jack in an attempt to save Pandora's moon.

Discover the story behind Borderlands 2 villain, Handsome Jack, and his rise to power. Taking place between the original Borderlands and Borderlands 2, the Pre-Sequel gives you a whole lotta new gameplay featuring the genre blending fusion of shooter and RPG mechanics that players have come to love.



Float through the air with each low gravity jump while taking enemies down from above using new ice and laser weapons. Catch-a-ride and explore the lunar landscape with new vehicles allowing for more levels of destructive mayhem.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is launching simultaneously on the Mac, PC, and consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360), which is a bit unusual as major games typically launch on PC and consoles before a Mac version becomes available.



The Mac version of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, published by Aspyr, can be downloaded from Aspyr's GameAgent.com, the Mac App Store [Direct Link], and Steam for $59.99.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:49PM, October 14

iPad mini Roundup Updated

Apple's Thursday, October 16 event may see the debut of a new Retina iPad mini. While rumors about the new mini have been overshadowed by the iPad Air, it is expected to see a processor upgrade and the addition of Touch ID.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:37PM, October 14

New leak reveals the Droid Turbo’s beastly two-day battery

If battery life is the thing you want most from your smartphone, then you may want to wait a couple of weeks to check out the Motorola Droid Turbo, which will likely deliver the biggest smartphone battery in any flagship device we've seen this year. Android Police has obtained some leaked marketing materials for the upcoming Motorola phone and has confirmed earlier rumors that the device will feature a gigantic 3,900mAh battery, which it notes should last you for two days with normal usage.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:36PM, October 14

GT Advanced Saw Production Troubles as Early as February

GT Advanced Technologies, Apple's sapphire partner, may have been seeing production problems and missing technical milestones as early as February, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal that examines GT's securities filings.



It's widely known that Apple did not provide GT Advanced with a fourth and final $139 million loan payment aimed at giving the sapphire supplier a means to purchase vital equipment, but Apple also delivered its third payment to the company two months after it was expected.





GT was set to receive a $103 million payment in February of 2014, but did not receive the payment until April 2014, two months later, as it had failed to meet Apple's requirements on time.

The third payment, of $103 million, was due in February, but Apple did not make it until April, according to GT's securities filings. The final installment of $139 million was due in April, according to a GT securities filing. In August, GT said it expected the payment by October. But Apple never made the payment, because GT did not meet certain requirements, according to people familiar with the matter.

Shortly after GT Advanced missed its February payment, the company's CEO, Thomas Gutierrez and its Chief Operating Officer, Daniel Squiller, set plans in motion to begin selling off stock. While the timing of their subsequent sales was subject to the schedules laid out in their trading plans, it is clear those plans were established after GT began having difficulties meeting its milestones.



Gutierrez set up a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 sale in March, which saw him selling more than 9,000 shares of GT Advanced stock on September 8, a day ahead of Apple's iPhone announcement. Gutierrez also sold off stock throughout the year, netting more than $10 million before stock prices faltered after it became clear Apple was not using sapphire in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.



Squiller sold $1.2 million worth of stock in May and made plans to sell off additional shares throughout 2014, garnering another $750,000 before the company filed for bankruptcy. Squiller continues to hold more than 200,000 shares of GT stock, which have lost much of their value.



Apple did end up making a total of three loan payments to GT Advanced totaling $440 million after signing an agreement in October of 2013, and the company also reportedly tried to help the supplier meet the requirements to receive the fourth payment ahead of GT's surprise Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.



GT Advanced's deal with Apple was highly favorable to the Cupertino-based company, with the sapphire supplier taking on all of the risk. Apple supplied the facility and the loan for the company to purchase equipment, but GT was required to meet technical milestones to receive the money and it also signed contracts that prevented it from selling its sapphire to other companies. Apple, meanwhile, was under no obligation to purchase GT's sapphire.



Details about the deal's deterioration have been coming out bit by bit, making it difficult to piece together exactly what went wrong. It appears that GT's failed to produce sapphire up to Apple's standards, leading the company to stick with Gorilla Glass instead of sapphire screens for its iPhones. GT Advanced has been able to supply little information on its bankruptcy filing, as it is bound by non-disclosure agreements that could see it paying $50 million in fines for each violation.



Apple and GT Advanced have asked to keep court documents sealed, but The Wall Street Journal today filed a motion asking the court make the documents public.



Following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, GT Advanced last week asked for permission to begin winding down operations at its Mesa, Arizona sapphire plant, suggesting the company plans to cease its sapphire production all together. Apple has said that it plans to focus on "preserving jobs" in Arizona, and is working with local and state officials as it considers its next steps.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:13PM, October 14

The Galaxy Note 4 smokes the iPhone 6 in a blind camera comparison

Apple's reign as the maker of the world's best smartphone camera may be short lived. Although the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus have both earned wide acclaim for their high-quality cameras, it looks like Samsung has similarly hit one out of the park with the camera for its Galaxy Note 4 phablet. PhoneArena snapped several pictures with several flagship smartphones and asked its readers to vote on which pictures looked the best without telling them which device took which picture. The results were a clear win for the Galaxy Note 4, although the iPhone 6 still finished better than the other flagship phones used in the survey.

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Posted in 2014 at 06:28PM, October 14

Macworld/iWorld Goes on Hiatus, No 2015 Event Planned

IDG today announced plans to put its annual Macworld/iWorld Expo on hiatus, which means the San Francisco event planned for 2015 will no longer take place. Macworld/iWorld, held annually, has long been one of the major Mac-based trade shows, dating back to 1985.

Macworld/iWorld will not take place in 2015 and the show is going on hiatus. The show saw a remarkable 30 year run that changed the technology industry, provided an important forum for Apple developers to bring new companies and products to market, delivered world class professional development to Apple product enthusiasts, and fostered the development of one of the most dynamic professional communities in the tech marketplace.

Though the shuttering of Macworld/iWorld comes as a surprise, the expo's popularity has been on the decline in recent years. Prior to 2009, Apple attended the event and used it to unveil new products, drawing thousands of attendees, but the company pulled out of the conference after 2009 and instead began hosting all of its own events.



Along with the Macworld/iWorld hiatus, Macworld also recently laid off several of its editorial staff members and shut down its print magazine. IDG's wording "hiatus" in the statement suggests that Macworld/iWorld could potentially return in the future, and the company still plans to hold its enterprise-focused MacIT event in 2015.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:40PM, October 14